Electric alarm-clock



(No Model.)

T. H. GRADY. ELECTRIC ALARM CLOCK.

Patented May 14, 1889.

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UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

THOMAS H. GRADY, OF BROOKLYN, NEV YORK.

ELECTRIC ALARM-CLOCK.

SPECIFICATION forming' part of Letters Patent No. 403,100, dated May 14, 1889.

Application filed February 9, 1889. Serial No. 299,291. (No model.)

To @ZZ whom it may concern.-

Be it known that I, THOMAS H. GRADY, a citizen of the United States, and a resident of Brooklyn, in the county of Kings and State of New York, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Electric Alarm- Olocks, of which the following is a speciiication.

The invention relates to improvements in electric alarm-clocks; and it consists in a clock in which the electro-magnets are within the clock, an d the armature thereof connected with or forming a part of the usual hammer for the gong, which remains in its customary position.

In accordance with the invention the dial of the clock is oi. non-conducting material and provided with a series of apertures at the outer edges of the line of numerals, in line with an aperture in the revoluble glass face, in order that a post connected with one terminal ot the circuit may be inserted through said aperture in the glass trent into the proper aperture in the dial in position for a hand traveling with the usual hour-hand of the clock to come into contact with it, and thus complete the electric circuit and cause the sounding of the alarm, the ringing continuing as long as said hand is in contact with said post, which is only removable by the act of the person. The alarm will thus sound until the person arises and withdraws the plug from. the face of the clock, this act breaking the circuit and stilling the alarm.

The invention will be more fully understood from the detailed description hereinafter presented, reference being had to the accompanying drawings, in whichn Figure 1 is a front view, partly in section, ot' a clock. constructed in accordance with the invention, the glass face of the clock being removed, and a portion of the dial bein g broken away for the purpose of disclosing the interior mechanism. Fig. 2 is a vertical section of same on the dotted line X of Fig. 1; and Fig. 3 is a detached view of the extra hand, which travels with the hour-handof the clock and Jforms the circuit at the time it is desired that the alarm should sound.

In the drawings, A designates the casing of the clock, B C, the base or legs thereof; D, the usual bell; E, the dial, and F the glass tace. The easing A is formed of sheet niet-al,

and is insulated from one leg, B, as shown in Fig. 1, the other leg, C, being in electric connection with the casing. The conductors GH from the battery (not shown) connect. with the legs B C, as indicated in Fig. 1. The clock. is provided with the customary works and hands, and in addition the supplemental hand l, which has upon its inner portion the Sleeve J, encircling the usual post, L, and said hand, when in use, will be directlybelow and travel with the hour-hand a of the clock. To the frame supporting the clock mechanism are secured the electro-magnets N and post O, the latter being connected by wire P with the leg B of the clock, the said wire P being suitably provided with insulating material, in order that its contact with the frame M may not disturb the electric current. On a bracket, Q., and insulated therefrom, is secured the spring R, (shown more clearly in Fig. 1,) and to this spring is attached the armature S, which forms a part of the support for the hammer T.

The normal position of the spring R is against the inner end of the adjustable screw V, which passes through the post O, above rcferred to, the armature S bein g thus held from contact with the cores of the electroinagnets N by the tension ci the said spring. The electro-magnets N are connected by a conducting-wire, lV, with the spring R, and by the conductor Y with the metallic plug or post Z, said conductor Y being suitably wrapped tor the purpose of insulating it and enhancing its appearance, and the plug Z having an appropriate handle, Z7.

The dial E is made of noncon lucting niaterial-such as hard rubber or celluloid-and upon its face is applied a paper disk, c, upon which the customary numerals are printed. The dial E contains a line of apertures, CZ, encircling the series of numerals and. in position to be traversed by the supplemental hand I, as indicated in Fig. l. The glass face F is held in the recesses e at the outer edges of the clock-casing, and said face is revoluble at will. In. the face F is provided an aperture, f, which is in a position to be moved over any one of thc apertures (Zin the dial E.

In the use of the invention the person setting the alarni will insert the end of the plug Z in the aperture f and revolve the face F to such position as will enable him to move the IOO plug Z into the aperture d adjacent to the hour at which he desires the alarm to soundas, for instance, VI oclock, which is the position of the plug Z illustrated in Fig. l. The plug being in use, the supplemental hand I will at the hour come into contact with the same and complete the electric circuit, the current from the wire H passing through the leg C, casing A, clock mechanism, hand I, plug Z, and conductor Y to the magnets N, and from the magnets through the conductor W to the spring R, which is in electric connection through the post O, wire P, and leg B with the other wire, G, from the battery. Upon the hand I coming into contact with the plug Z the current entering the electromagnets N will cause the cores thereof toA attract the armature S toward them, causing the hammerT to strike the bell D and breaking the contact of the spring Rwith the screw V, this lat-ter action breaking the circuit at the point of the screw V, which has the eect of causing the cores of the electro-magnets to instantly release the armature S and permit the hammer T to recede from the bell D, and the spring R to regain its contact with the screwr V, thereby again completing the circuit, Whereupon the armature S will be again attracted by the electro-magnets and the bell again struck bythe hammer T. The armature is thus caused to rapidly vibrate between the screw V and the electro-magnets N until the plug Z shall have been withdrawn from the apertures f el, the hammer T striking the bell D with each vibration of the armature. Itis obvious that the ringing of the bell will continue until the person arises and withdraws the plug Z from the clock-face, at which time the alarm will cease.

The purpose of the hand I is simply to have a conductor between the post L and the plug Z, and it is obvious that if the hour-hand a were sufficiently long the hand I might be' omitted. When, however, the hand I is made use of, the usual clock-hands may be einployed without altering their form or length, and hence, for the sake of convenience, I employ the supplemental hand I.

The setting of the alarm consists in simply inserting the plug Z through the aperture f and into the aperture d at the hour at which it is desired the alarm shall sound, and the convenience of this portion of the invention is apparent.

The form of the clock constructed with my invention remains unchanged, and an ordinary bell in its customary position is made use of Without alteration. The electro-magnets, being within the clock-casing, are concealed from view, and are unobjectionable.

The conductor Y being flexible, the plug Z may be dropped beneath or behind the clockcasing, thus forming no obstruction or disfigurement.

By making the glass face F revoluble but one aperture f is necessary therein; but should .f it be desired to have a stationary glass face on the clock, a row of apertures therein corresponding with the series of apertures d would be required in order that the plug Z might be inserted at the various positions desired.

.What I claim as my invention, and desire to secure by Letters Patent, is-

l. In an electric alarm-clock, the dial of non-conducting material provided with the line of apertures, and the revoluble trans` parent face provided With an aperture in position to be brought over any one of the apertures in the dial, combined with the movable plug connected with a conductor from the electro-magnets and adapted to be inserted through said apertures, the vibrating armature connected with the bell-hammer and arranged between the electro-magnets and the back contact, the latter being in connection with one wire of the battery, and aA hand upon the clock forming a conductor through the clock mechanism to the other Wire of the battery and adapted during its travel to come into'contact with the plug in said apertures, substantiallyas set forth.

2. In an electric alarm-clock, the dial of non-conducting material provided with the line of apertures, and the transparent revoluble face provided with an aperture in position to be brought over any one of the apertures in the dial7 combined with a movable plug adapted to be inserted through said apertures in the desired position, and a hand traversing the dial and of a length to be arrested by contact with said plug, the hand and plug forming the vterminals of the electric circuit in which the alarm-hammer is connected with the vibrating armature, substantially as set forth.

3. In an electric alarm-clock, the hammer and bell, the dial having the series of apertures, and the transparent face having an aperture in line with thel apertures in the dial, combined with the movable plug adapted for insertion int-o said apertures, the hand `traversing said dial and of a length to be arrested by said plug, and an electric circuit of which said hand and plug are the terminals, ,and in which the armature is connected with the said hammer, substantially as set forth.

4. An alarm-clock having its bell-hammer .connected with the armature in an electric circuit, and-a dial having a series of apertures, combined with a hand traversing the dial and extending to said apertures, and a removable plug adapted to be inserted into IOO IIO

said apertures and to arrest said hand, the

hand and plug forming the terminals of the circuit, substantially as set forth.

Signed at New York, in the county of New York and State of New York, this 7th day of February, A. D. 1889.

THOMAS H. GRADY.

Witnesses: i

CHAs. C. GILL, R. A. PoRTEoUs. 

